JF Ptak Science Books Quick Post
I don’t know why, but I think that I’ve never looked at any lists of the boats and small ships used in Operation Dynamo, the rescue/evacuation efforts of Britain to relieve the surrounded forces at Dunkirk. All together there were about 850 boats/ships put into service for the 28 May-4 June 1940 action—more than 200 were lost, though through this extraordinary effort more than 330,000 troops were saved from capture or annihilation, taking them from the beaches and harbor and mole, though there were something on the order of 70,000 troops who were killed there. Additionally one must never forget that something like 40,000 French troops stayed behind to protect the very considerable front at Dunkirk, which ranged from that city to Nieuport, some 25 miles long and 10 miles deep.
- "Dunkirk Beaches, 1940", Richard Ernst Eurich. From Wikicommons, from the original at the Imperial War Museum.
In any event the great retreat and resurrection from Dunkirk is told in many places and I’m not going to tell it here—I’m just stopping by to have a look at some of the names of the boats that made way from Ramsgate in those eight days. Some of the names are straight-away prophetic or specifically appropriate (like the Inspiration and Endeavour); others have a longer and deep connection (Papillon, New Britannica); some are antithetical (Lazy Days, Omega) while others are simply charming (Pug, Jeff ). I simply wanted to reflect on these names of heroic boats, with heroic crews, performing heroic duties, and saving heroic soldiers who would be able to go on and stand to an heroic fight.
Following list of boats taken from a much longer list at the website for the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, here: http://www.adls.org.uk/t1/:
Abdy Beauclerk, Aberdonia, Alusia, Aquabelle
Beatrice Maud, Bessie, Bluebird of Chelsea, Bounty, Brown Owl;
Cabby, Challenge, Chantecler, Chumley, Count Dracula;
Daphne, Davia, Dawn, Defender, Diana, Dianthus, Dragonfly, Dowager
Endeavour Eothen, Fairwind;
Feasible, Felicity, Ferry Nymph, Felicity, Firefly;
Gentle Ladye, Guide of Dunkirk (now called the Girl Guide);
Hilfranor;
Inspiration;
Jeff, Jovial;
Lazy Days;
Maid Marion;
New Britannic, New Windsor Castle;
Omega;
Papillon, Patricia, Polly, Pudge
Quest;
Rapid One, Resolute;
Salvor (maybe not quite right but close enough); Sundowner;
The King;
Vanguard;
Warrior, Wayfarer, Windsong.
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